I don't think you could say more dangerous words than those found in the Lord's Prayer. I don't think you could pray a more radical prayer. Probably most of us, even in ministry, would hesitate to say these words if we really understood what we were saying. We would at least pause before repeating this prayer if we clearly understood that we were actually inviting upheaval into our lives and ministries. This prayer can't be answered except through the tearing down and rebuilding of many things in our lives.

Here are the radical words I have been alluding to: "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). I must admit that I don't always greet God's kingdom with delight. I want certain things in my life, and I not only want them, but I know how, when, and where I want them. I want my life and ministry to be comfortable. I want my schedule to be unobstructed and predictable. I want people to esteem and appreciate me. I want control over the situations and relationships that I cannot avoid. I want people to affirm my opinions and follow my pastoral lead. I want the ministry initiatives I direct to be well received and successful.

When I am off the ministry clock, I want the pleasures that I find entertaining to be available to me. I want my children to appreciate that they have been blessed with me as their father. I want my wife to be a joyful and committed supporter of my dreams. I don't want to suffer. I don't want to live without. I don't want to have to deal with personal defeat or ministry failure. It is humbling to admit, but I want my kingdom to come and my will to be done.

Our Own Way

In this way I stand with everyone in Scripture from Cain to Peter who wanted his own will or who followed his own way. Think of King David. What a high calling to be part of a kingdom that would never end, out of which the Messiah would come. But in David's claustrophobic little kingdom of one, Bathsheba would be his wife. In David's kingdom, Bathsheba would not have already been married. In David's kingdom he could have Bathsheba and the blessing of the Lord on his reign at the same time. So David acted out of zeal for his own kingdom, forgetting that he was sent as the ambassador of a greater King.

Sadly, in life and ministry, you and I do the very same thing. I get mad at someone not because he broke God's law but because he broke mine. We get impatient with others because they seem to delay the realization of our kingdom's purposes. Or we get discouraged with God because he brings the very uncomfortable things into our lives that we work so hard to avoid.

"Your kingdom come" is a dangerous prayer, for it means the death of your sovereignty. It means your life and ministry will be shaped by the will of another. It means you will experience the messiness, discomfort, and difficulty of God's refining grace. It means surrendering the center of your universe to the One who alone deserves to be there. It means loving God above all else and your neighbor as yourself. It means experiencing the freedom that can only be found when God breaks your bondage to you. It means finally living for and ministering for the one glory that is truly glorious, the glory of God.

The prayer that Christ taught us to pray is the antidote to sin in. Since sin starts with the heart, I'll only live within the moral boundaries God has set when my heart desires God's will more than it desires my own. No set of ministry disciplines, no wonderful strategic plan, and no reformation of leadership culture can produce a heart that functionally and joyfully submits to God's kingdom and glory. Only God's powerful transforming grace can produce this kind of heart.

Only those being delivered by death, who desire to escape the kingdom of self that always leads to destruction and death, pray "Your kingdom come"---words of surrender, words of protection, and words of grace. Are you willing to say, "Lord I commit to doing everything I do, saying everything I say, and choosing everything I choose for the sake of your kingdom and not mine"? Do you find joy and hope in knowing that as God calls you to live and minister for his kingdom he frees you from being in bondage to your little kingdom of one? And do you daily seek grace freely given so you may say "yes" to both questions?

See part one in this series, Why Is Christianity on Decline in America?

Ross Douthat's Bad Religion attributes Christianity's decline in the United States to:

1. political polarization that has sucked churches into its vortex;
2. the sexual revolution that has undermined the plausibility of Christian faith and practice for an entire generation;
3. globalization that has made the exclusive claims of Christianity seem highly oppressive;
4. materialism and consumerism that undermines commitment to anything higher than the self; and
5. alienation of the cultural elites and culture-shaping institutions from Christianity.

What, if anything, can we do about the decline of Christianity? This question has triggered an entire generation of books and blogs. Douthat's book is mainly descriptive and critical. He even admits that the book was "written in a spirit of pessimism." Yet he rightly responds that for any Christian, "pessimism should always be provisional." So in his last chapter he very briefly proposes four factors that could lead to the "recovery of Christianity."

First, he speaks of the "postmodern opportunity." The same relativism and rootlessness that has weakened the church is also proving exhausting rather than liberating to many in our society. Even in the academy, postmodern theory is now widely seen as being in eclipse, and there is no "next big thing" on the horizon. Douthat wonders about the possibility of a kind of revolution from above---that is, a revival of Christianity among cultural elites.

Second, he notes the opposite impulse at work, the "Benedict option"---a new monasticism that does not seek engagement with culture but rather the formation of counter-cultural communities that "stand apart . . . and inspire by example rather than by engagement." Douthat suggests that these first two measures should not be seen as completely opposed and, indeed, could benefit by being paired with one another, otherwise engaging the culture can become accommodation and being an example can become separatism and sectarianism.

Third, he cites "the next Christendom," meaning the explosively growing Christian churches of the former Third World could evangelize the West. Under the first two proposals Douthat can name some existing efforts that hold promise, but this factor is much more than a dream. In European and North American cities literally thousands of new churches and missions have already begun under the leadership of African, Latin American, and Asian Christians.

Finally, he proposes that "an age of diminished [economic] expectations"---along with the devastation of the sexual revolution and the exhaustion of postmodern rootlessness---could lead to the masses again looking to Christianity for hope and help. A church that could welcome them, he warns, would need three qualities. First, it would have to be political without being partisan. That is, it would have to equip all its members to be culturally engaged through vocation and civic involvement without identifying corporately with one political party. Second, it would have to be confessional yet ecumenical. That is, the church would have to be fully orthodox within its theological and ecclesiastical tradition yet not narrow and harsh toward other kinds of Christians. It should be especially desirous of cooperation with non-Western Christian leaders and churches. Third, the church would not only have to preach the Word faithfully, but also be committed to beauty and sanctity, the arts, and human rights for all. In this brief section he sounds a lot like Lesslie Newbigin and James Hunter, who have described a church that can have a "missionary encounter with Western culture."

It is worth noting that each of these positive measures takes aim at one or two of the factors that have led to decline. The Benedict option seeks to break the hold of political polarization on the church. The postmodern opportunity aims to re-engage the cultural elites. The next Christendom has already strongly undermined the contention that Christianity merely reflects Western culture and imperialism. And if there is an "age of diminished expectations," it could erode both the materialism and even the sexual licentiousness (which always works best in the midst of material plenty) that have undermined faith.

But how successful will these be? I don't know, but I think these are the right strategies and responses. Why? First, each of the proposals addresses one of the five barriers to faith in our culture, so we should at least attempt to deal with them. Second, though treated briefly, these are essentially the same ideas that others such as Newbigin and Hunter have proposed. That confirms them in my mind. Third, as many readers know, I simply think these are features of a biblical ministry.

Near the very end of this book, Douthat (whom I have not met as of this writing) very kindly used our Redeemer Presbyterian Church as a good example of some of the things he proposes for the church in our time. When I read it I was startled, then humbled, then strongly overwhelmed by a sense that, for all God's kindness to us over the years, we at Redeemer are so far from realizing our goals and aims. It actually discouraged me for several days until I noticed a little quote by G. K. Chesterton that Douthat cites near the end of his book. In The Everlasting Man Chesterton surveys the many forces over the last 2,000 years that threatened and should have destroyed Christianity.

"'Time and again,' Chesterton noted, 'the Faith has to all appearances gone to the dogs.' But each time, 'it was the dog that died.'"

Editors' Note: This is a cross-post from Tim Keller's blog at Redeemer City to City.

Editors' Note: Everyone has an opinion about youth ministry. Parents, pastors, and the youth themselves have expectations and demands that don't always overlap. But the rash of dire statistics about the ineffectiveness of youth ministry has prompted rethinking in these ranks. So we devote one day per week this month to exploring several issues in youth ministry, including its history, problems, and biblical mandate. The Gospel Coalition thanks Cameron Cole and the leadership team of Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry for their help in compiling this series. Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, will host their 2012 conference from August 9 to 11. Speakers Ray Ortlund, Timothy George, and Mary Willson will expound on the conference theme, "Adopted: The Beauty of Grace."

**********

The current generation of youth is an interesting one.

As I've worked with and studied about youth today, it seems safe to say that they are not members of the Enlightenment, nor do they hold the modern notion that Reason can lead us to all Truth that is just beyond the horizon of our current knowledge.

And yet what do they as a generation believe?

Though they are postmodern chronologically, I believe it would also be wrong to say that they are postmodern. Unlike postmoderns, they are desperate for a grand story to make sense of the world around them. They want meaning. They are desperate for a true hope.

But hope is an elusive target in the world. Many of their parents have put their hope in the economy, politics, and the military strength of America. Their children, however, see a failing economy, political unrest, and an ongoing terrorist threat. The future doesn't seem that rosy. So what's left for them to hope in if they don't have the future? The moment. And happiness is king of the moment.

Youth pursue happiness, but the means given by the world---shopping, entertainment, sex, social media---undermine the very endeavor. Pleasure is fleeting. Relations, often only surface deep, get messy quickly. Entertainment can't provide lasting satisfaction. In the end, happiness in the world is little more than momentary escape from the realities of the world.

Desperately Searching

Given the circumstances, it's no surprise that many youth are restless, insecure, jaded, and desperately searching for meaning to explain all the hurt and suffering they see around them, meaning for their very existence. Sadly, many within the church offer nothing more substantive than the vaporous teachings of the world. In some churches, "youth group" has become synonymous with over-the-top games, entertainment, and shallow teaching. They are told, yes, life here on earth is a mess, but don't worry, one day you'll die and go to heaven. There things will be right. In the meantime, want to see how many marshmallows I can stick in my mouth?

Do we really believe the faith of our youth is so pointless that the best God has for them now is a temporary escape from the world on Wednesday night and Sunday morning? This sort of ministry just reinforces a belief in the meaninglessness of this life.

Where are meaning and hope found? In Jesus.

I am firmly convinced that what today's youth need most is the gospel of Christ Jesus the Lord. He is the one in whom the fullness of God is found, and he's the one in whom we are filled (Col 2:9-10). Moreover, he is the one who gives meaning to this life.

He didn't come to escape the world but to redeem it. When you read the Gospels, you see the way in which Jesus and his kingdom brought redemption to this world by overcoming physical evil (emotional and physical sickness), metaphysical evil (Satan and the demons), and moral evil (sin).

And the amazing message of the gospel is that we are transferred into Jesus' kingdom of redemption and the forgiveness of sin (Col 1:13-14), a kingdom we pray comes "on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt 6:10). It's a kingdom of meaning for today that heals the broken and strengthens the tempted as they live in the world (but are not of the world).

This is why, then, Paul pleas for the early Christians in Colossae to "walk in [Jesus], rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving" (Col 2:7).

But the assumption Paul makes is that all Christians---including young ones---have been taught this kingdom-bringing Jesus,the Messiah as presented in the Old and New Testaments. This is the Jesus in whom youth today can truly root their faith and be fed, grown, and established.

His People, the Church

Where is Jesus found? In the worship of his people, the church. As others have said, the way we come to know Jesus is through the means he gave us: Scripture, true Christian fellowship, the sacraments, and prayer. These are the practices that by faith renew their minds in such a way that enables youth to view and live in the world with purpose and meaning as followers of Jesus. These are the practices that by faith force youth from their technologically imposed isolation, discourage their entitlement, and lead them to a spirit of humility and repentance. These are the practices that by faith expose their dependence on Jesus and remind them of their need for grace.

And these are the practices that are to define our worship as the church. Certainly, some of these practices can take place in youth-only venues, but at its heart, these are full-body practices of the corporate church: young and old worshiping together.

I love youth ministry, I really do. But the thing is, we have to be sure that we don't segregate the youth for our sake and theirs. They are part of the body of Christ too, and no part of the body can remain healthy if one of its members is cut off and put to the side. If we segregate the youth, not only do we lose all they have to teach us, but we also inadvertently teach them that the church is really only for adults---those who are married and have families of their own. And then we wonder why they don't get involved in church as college students or young singles, when in reality, we've been telling them all along that the church isn't yet for them.

My prayer is that as we minister to a generation starving for meaning, we won't lose sight of the reality that what these youth need is Jesus, and that he is most fully offered within the community of the church, of which they are a vital part.

**********

Also in the series on youth ministry:

• A Brief History of Youth Ministry by Dave Wright
• MTD: Not Just a Problem with Youth Ministry by Brian H. Cosby
• Youth Ministry's Tendency Toward Legalism by Cameron Cole
• Why We Need Youth Ministry by Paul Martin

Editors' Note: Everyone has an opinion about youth ministry. Parents, pastors, and the youth themselves have expectations and demands that don't always overlap. But the rash of dire statistics about the ineffectiveness of youth ministry has prompted rethinking in these ranks. So we devote one day per week this month to exploring several issues in youth ministry, including its history, problems, and biblical mandate. The Gospel Coalition thanks Cameron Cole and the leadership team of Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry for their help in compiling this series. Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, will host their 2012 conference from August 9 to 11. Speakers Ray Ortlund, Timothy George, and Mary Willson will expound on the conference theme, "Adopted: The Beauty of Grace."

**********

So much of today's thinking in youth ministry is different than it was 20 years ago. Eating goldfish, iPod incentives, fog machines, and even chubby bunny are being reconsidered as the profession of youth ministry grows up. While it's easy to find a local youth group that still practices some of these bygone techniques, more and more ministries are changing. The important question coming out of this new era of thought is a simple one: Why does youth ministry exist?

Two thousand years ago, Jewish children had a clear path to adulthood that included youth ministry. The local synagogue would hire a rabbi whose primary role was educating children. Starting at age 4 or 5 (Beth Sefer) children would learn, read, write, and memorize the Torah. At age 10, having memorized the Torah, children would either spend more time at home learning the family trade or move towards the path of the rabbi. Either path led to an eventual acknowledgment of adulthood at age 30 for men. Culture considered the time in between the period in preparation for adulthood, and the synagogue was invested in that stage of life.

It's doubtful that ancient rabbis ate live fish to encourage their students. It's possible, though unlikely, that they stuffed as many honey-coated wafers in their mouths as possible to prove their rabbinic mastery. What seems clear is that youth ministry existed long before Young Life. Understanding this paradigm adds a bit of depth to the popular thinking that parents should be the only (not primary) spiritual directors for children.

Into the Present

Present-day youth ministry hardly resembles its ancient roots. Much of the discipleship we see modeled by Jesus in the Bible has been forsaken in the modern church. Consumeristic, attractional models of the church have flourished in Western culture. Youth ministry is also at least partly responsible for the most biblically illiterate, unchurched generation of Americans. Fewer and fewer young adults return to the church after they leave home. Caught in that paradigm, very few of us would belabor the end of youth ministry.

Just as it was in Jesus' day, young adults (and their parents) need help. The church would be suicidal to abandon a generation based on the failing, outdated model of youth ministry.  I see several necessities for the church today.

1. Youth ministry exists because it is needed.

The needs of adolescents are not contested by many of the best minds in the church and psychology. Robert Epstein in Teen 2.0 makes a strong case for cultivating this generation. "Young people should be extended full adult rights and responsibilities in each of a number of different areas as soon as they can demonstrate appropriate competence in each area." The church, if it wants spiritual depth, must reach out to teenagers and help them mature in their faith.

2. What worked in the past can work today.

Jesus modeled one of the best practices for the church. His discipleship did not depend on the latest book, the newest game, or the best icebreaker. Instead, his model relied on the spiritual health of the leader, and his willingness to spend time investing himself, his love, and his truth in them.

3. Resistance is futile.

The church in its current iteration resists change. Youth pastors trying to make changes for too many years usually have met resistance from church leaders. Still, newer practices in youth ministry are driving efforts to foster spiritual maturity, helping church leaders see the benefit of youth ministry that makes disciples.

Where Does This Leave the Church?

Youth ministry is a cultural phenomenon, but that does not negate its usefulness. Youth ministry will continue to evolve, but it will be needed as long as young people and their families struggle with bringing them fully into adulthood and spiritual maturity.

**********

Also in the series on youth ministry:

• A Brief History of Youth Ministry by Dave Wright
• MTD: Not Just a Problem with Youth Ministry by Brian H. Cosby
• Youth Ministry's Tendency Toward Legalism by Cameron Cole
• Youth Need the Church, and the Church Needs Youth by Mark A. Howard

The longer you're in pastoral ministry, the more you move from being an astronaut to an archaeologist. When you're young, you're excitedly launching to worlds unknown. You have all of the major decisions of life and ministry before you, and you can spend your time assessing your potential and considering opportunities. It's a time of exploration and discovery. It's a time to go where you've never been before and do what you've never done. It's a time to begin to use your training and gain experience.

But as you get older in ministry, you begin to look back at least as much as you look forward. As you look back, you tend to dig through the mound of the civilization that was your past life and ministry, looking for pottery shards of thoughts, desires, choices, actions, words, decisions, and relationships. You can't help but assess how you have done with what you have been given.

Now, who would be so arrogant and bold as to look back on their life and ministry and say, "In every possible way I was as good as I could have been"? Wouldn't we all hold some of those pottery shards in our hands and experience at least a bit of regret? Wouldn't all of us wish that we could take back words we have said, decisions we have made, or actions we have taken?

If you and I are at all willing to humbly and honestly look at our lives, we will be forced to conclude that we are flawed human beings. And yet we don't have to beat ourselves up. We don't have to work to minimize or deny our failures. We don't have to be defensive when our weaknesses are revealed. We don't have to rewrite our histories to make ourselves look better than we actually were. We don't have to be paralyzed by remorse and regret. We don't have to distract ourselves with busyness or drug ourselves with substances.

Isn't it wonderful that we can stare our deepest, darkest failures in the face and be unafraid? Isn't it comforting that we can honestly face our most regretful moments and not be devastated? Isn't it amazing that we can confess that we really are sinners and be neither fearful nor depressed?

We can do all of these things because, like David, we have learned that our hope in life is not in the purity of our character or the perfection of our performance. We can face that we are sinners and rest because we know that God really does exist and that he is a God of:

Mercy,

Steadfast love,

Abundant Mercy

Because he is, there is hope---hope of forgiveness and

new beginnings.

Yes, we really can fully acknowledge our sin and failure and yet be unafraid.

As I enter my fifth year of pastoral ministry, I will be the first to say I have much to learn. Even so, by God's grace, I have learned some important lessons---three of which related to the Word and ministry I share here.

The Word Does the Work

In 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Paul takes time to remind his young protégé of the power, authority, and utter sufficiency of Scripture for "teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." The following charge is based on the power and sufficiency of the Word: Timothy must commit himself to the preaching of that Word.

Paul's admonition reminds us in pastoral ministry that when we forget that the Word does the work, we are lost. It is God's Word that holds power and sufficiency---power to touch and change people's hearts by the Spirit, and sufficiency to accomplish God's sanctifying work. As pastors, we need to trust that God's Word does the work.

As a youth pastor, I've certainly felt the pull to let something else---really, anything else---dictate what I'm teaching to my students. Yet I have humbly learned that God's Word does the work; I need to get myself under that Word and speak it faithfully. Our best teaching series in our youth ministry thus far was actually not even really a "teaching" series but a "live" Bible study in the book of Philippians. We spent 40 minutes each Wednesday night asking simple questions of the text together and allowing God's Word to speak to us. And God's Word did its work in the lives of the students. I need to let God's work dictate what I'm doing in teaching and leading. I need to unleash the real power and let it do the work.

The Word Does Its Work Best in the Context of Relationship

God's Word does the work---but what if the people do not show up to hear it? Deep relationships help God's Word to take root in people's lives. In our ministry, the students who have grown in Christian maturity, holiness, and knowledge have been aided by genuine friendships. The relationships became the fertile ground for Word ministry to accomplish its purpose. The ministry of the Word and the growth of the gospel in people's lives is the end game, but people almost always get there through relationships.

Preach the Word up front, yes, but engage in gospel ministry with people in smaller groups and one-on-one. For a beautiful example of how this can look in the ministry of an ordinary pastor, read this wonderful little story by Barry Cooper. David Helm, in his book One-to-One Bible Reading, also offers some valuable insights and tools.

The Word Does Its Work as We Work Hard

You may have heard it said that the pastorate is a place where lazy men hide. The saying is a bit harsh, but it is unfortunately true in some cases. Being a lazy pastor is quite easy, actually. You just create an illusion of extreme busyness, importance, and stress, all the while actually doing very little work. This must never be! Men called to ministry should work harder than everyone else. We are called to excellence, and while the results belong to God, shame on us if we do not spend ourselves for the sake of the growth of the gospel in our churches.

At our church, the supervising pastors ask us, "How are you working hard and maximizing your time for the sake of the gospel and the church?" It is not unspiritual for pastors to talk about topics such as efficiency and productivity. We need to get up and go to work. We need to work hard to get things done for the sake of the gospel and the growth of Christ's kingdom. The results are his; the labor is ours.

These lessons are not profound, but I do hope that they ring true for those of you who are seeking to faithfully labor as Word ministers. By God's grace, for as many years as he gives me in pastoral ministry, I hope to put myself under his Word and allow it to accomplish his purposes in the lives of my people. I hope to do all I can to build and encourage deep relationships in my ministry---fertile ground where Word ministry can grow, thrive, and bear fruit. And I want to---for God's eyes alone---work hard at all of this, spending myself for the wonderful Word work to which he has called us as gospel ministers.

There's a saying in Nebraska: "If you don't like the weather then wait a minute." It is not surprising to run your heater and air conditioner in the same day. But such variable weather tends to coincide with stable public relations. This is why it is so interesting to consider the stormy story of University of Nebraska assistant football coach Ron Brown.

You may recall Brown as the eye of the hurricane in the aftermath of the horrific Penn State sex scandal last fall. Nebraska played Penn State the weekend after the story broke. Surrounded by clouds of despair, Brown, an outspoken evangelical, led a prayer meeting of players, coaches, and officials at midfield. He also provided clarity and biblical perspective during the week. Brown's Christian worldview and witness were, as many said, the highlight of the day.

Six months later Brown finds himself in the headlines again. Only this time he is not being applauded but assailed for these same evangelical convictions.

In late March the Omaha City Council held a public hearing concerning an amendment to their anti-discrimination ordinance to add protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. The law already provides protection from discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, and disability. Brown attended the hearing and voiced his opposition to the amendment.

A host of national outlets have picked up the AP story about backlash against Brown. I recently visited with Brown to get his thoughts on what happened and why he spoke up.

Personal Encouragement

Ron Brown is fearless. At least he seems so. He lives his Christian life like he played as a college and NFL defensive back. Like a roving safety, Brown defends his ground, looks for breakdowns, and tackles the opposition. His love of Christ trumps all. It is amazing to read stories in an Omaha newspaper about how he has won over a Muslim running back by his daily faithfulness. I also hear many more stories through friends close to him of steady, intentional Christian living. Therefore, before we observe or say anything else we can be challenged and encouraged. This guy is a rare jewel in contemporary evangelicalism. And he is living it out in a media fishbowl.

I asked Brown why he is so bold, so outspoken. He responded,

Jesus said, "Whoever desires to save his life shall lose it. If you deny me before me then I will deny you before my Father." My greatest burden is not losing my job or what people might say about me. My greatest burden is faithfulness. I want to be faithful. I want to see the body of Christ be faithful. I want to see unbelievers come to Christ.

Brown is 100 percent Division I football coach and 100 percent preacher. When he talks you want to strap on the spiritual helmet and get in the game.

Clarity Is Necessary

Why would the writer say this? Brown has a reputation for boldly speaking out on moral issues, and we have come to expect it.

Why is this a concern? Because many, like this columnist, hear a list of "do's" and "don'ts" in his soundbites and statements. This is where we all should be listening to those who listen to us. Are they hearing gospel or moralism? Are we preaching the gospel of what Jesus did or what we need to do/not do?

D. A. Carson has helpfully said, "It is easy to sound prophetic from the margins, what we need is to be prophetic from the center." That is, preaching against issues that flow out of a rejection of the gospel (sexual sin, abortion, etc) are peripheral and must be addressed by means of the core gospel, that which is of first importance (1 Cor. 15:3-5).

I asked Brown about the danger of his message being reduced merely to moralism. Brown pounced on this like an open-field tackle:

I do not want to see a moral Nebraska. I want to see a Nebraska and a country transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is why I do all of this. Everything is about getting the truth of Jesus Christ out.

Brown's view of homosexuals does not emerge clearly in this media dust-up. Many have argued that he is hateful towards gays. He told me:

That's not true. It is not all about seeing homosexuals become hetereosexuals. This is not the message of the gospel. The gospel is about all types of sinners (like me) who are unbelievers becoming believers. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not discriminatory, it is all inclusive: we are all sinners. I am pretty consistent in talking to all types of people about Christ. This is the thing that encourages me in this whole thing: the gospel of Christ is being presented. God will forgive people. He will give a clean-slate to all who turn from sin and trust in Jesus.

As you listen to Brown talk about his burden for the gospel to take root, and then you re-read the soundbites, you feel the burden of Carson's words all the more: we must be prophetic from the center. They will hear what we are passionate about. We have to keep hitting those gospel notes, because it is a strange sound to people who do not yet recognize the tune.

Cultural Observation

There is much we could conclude from this situation, but I'll highlight just two observations.

First, if Brown had spoken in favor of the amendment, media would not have protested. Brown boldly proclaimed, "This offends God." Consequently, many people were offended (including the university chancellor). People really are interested in gagging God. They don't want to recognize authority outside themselves. This response illustrates Romans 1:18-25. There is no consideration about offending the Creator, only consideration about the possibility of offending creatures. God help us. Brown was pretty fired up about this point.

In the famous battle between David and Goliath there was Goliath, the enemy to God and his people; David, the young under-sized boy; and the cowardly Jewish army. Too often American evangelicals look like a cowering army instead of a zealous David. There is opposition to God and his Word. How can we just hang our heads and give up?!

Second, there is back story to Brown's public appearance. The coach has received some pretty intense public chin-music from Harvey Perlman, chancellor of the University of Nebraska. Many local experts are opining that Perlman is fed up with the coach's exploits. In other words, Brown might get fired over this incident. The university may regard Brown as a liability. In other words, the University of Nebraska, in the name of tolerance, would be intolerant of his so-called intolerance. If that sounds like an postmodern end-around, you heard correctly. The modern understanding of tolerance pivots on the fact that you must tolerate everyone's views except those who disagree with this premise. This is not only intellectually but also morally problematic.

To make matters more complicated, in a few days the Lincoln City Council will consider the same ordinance. Everyone wonders if Coach Brown will speak out against the amendment, as he did in Omaha. "I'm praying about that," Brown told me. "I want to draw as much attention to Christ as I can. I also want to think about the best ways to do that." If for whatever reason Brown doesn't go, he should not worry about being called a coward. If he does go, may the gospel be made clear in all of its grace-saturated glory.

Obvious Tension

Christians living in a secular world have endless opportunities for gospel engagement. Where and when do we go? Furthermore, how do we speak out against moral issues in an increasingly secular culture? I can't pretend to answer these things once and for all. There is an obvious tension here the seems to pit faithfulness against pragmatism. Christians need to pray for wisdom and boldness as we endeavor to be clearly declaring and demonstrating the gospel.

Unlike Nebraska weather, this priority never changes. May God be pleased to use Brown and the rest of us to advance the gospel.

There have never been this many Christians around the world, yet few know much about God, the actual contents of the Bible, or the ways in which God's people have interpreted and applied the Bible historically. Many Americans, at least, still go to church and read the Bible--as their social lives permit. Even more in the Global South do so with fervency and zeal. Still, despite our apparent esteem for the Bible's status and authority, few believers know as much about its contents as they do about Hollywood movies, popular music, or athletics.

Indeed, as anyone who teaches in our churches can attest, few today know the Ten Commandments (I mean all ten, in proper order), the twelve apostles, the letters of Paul, or even the titles of the books included within the biblical canon. A basic grasp of Bible doctrine is also hard to find today. How many Christians do you know who can articulate what Scripture teaches about our Lord's two natures, the ministry of the Spirit, or the nature of the church? Even first-year seminarians have trouble with these things.

The church wants education and needs theological leaders. In this day when many pastors lead non-theologically, and academics work in a way that is lost on the people of God, we need pastor-theologians who can minister the Word in ways that edify the saints and offer a winsome public witness to the goodness, truth, and beauty of the Lord and his will for us.

The time is ripe for dialogue, even charitable debate, regarding the best way forward. So I offer the following theses in the hope that they will incite a large number of church leaders--in congregations and divinity schools--to think together with me about how we can serve God's people more effectively as preachers, teachers, and Christian educators.

1. Our churches and our world desperately need pastors to lead and teach theologically.

We clearly can't rely on families to raise their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (though a minority of them are doing so). We can't rely on television or radio preachers to feed us (though, again, some are trying). We shouldn't assume that people are finding theological nourishment in their local Christian bookstores. Our pastors truly need to give themselves far more fully to a ministry of the Word that is profound and systematic, as well as personally, ecclesially, and socio-culturally relevant.

2. Not all pastors are able to function as big-hitting theologians (serving the church and world at large).

Some don't have the time. Many are serving churches that won't allow this kind of stewardship. Some don't have the intellectual gifts or writing skills. Many pastors in large churches have assignments that include very little preaching and teaching. So let's be honest about this: the kind of theological leadership that the world so desperately needs is not for everyone engaged in pastoral ministry.

3. All pastors should lead and inform their people theologically.

Not everyone can be a great theological leader. Not everyone can write books or make a splash in the media. But ordained clergy are called to the sacred ministry of the gospel and the eternal Word of God---not to motivational speaking, popular psychology, folk wisdom, life coaching, or marketing the faith (though we often engage these other things in ancillary ways).

4. Some pastor-theologians should recognize that God has called, prepared, and equipped them for the serious, sustained, theological leadership of their own congregations, denominations, and the Christian church at large.

This wider ministry often requires strong encouragement from those who know us well. People who fit this description are often tempted to believe that insofar as they serve the Lord in trans-congregational ministry they are shirking their main duty to their local congregations. Sometimes this is true; but it is not always true. It is possible to serve well in a local congregation and to serve the church at large. And people called to both assignments are actually sinning against the Lord if they neglect the larger church.

5. We will always need schools for the training of ministry leaders.

There are many churches one can serve with little or no advanced training. But it would be difficult today to become a theological leader without the benefit of a solid theological education. Seminaries, especially, offer such a rich and varied menu of specialized studies in fields related to Christian ministry---ancient languages and history, church history, philosophy, psychology, hermeneutics, intercultural studies, and so on--that it is impossible to replicate what they do outside the academy. History teaches that reformation in the church is usually led by intellectuals---people who understand the past and know how to chart a different course for the people of God moving forward. One doesn't need much education to maintain the status quo. But to reform and improve the church one needs to understand its problems and have access to the tools by which we can solve them.

6. But this does not mean that we will need the very kind of schools we now have.

American Protestants have only had such schools for a couple hundred years. They are relatively new. And, in the main, the theological life of our churches has declined during the years they've been around. I suggest we move toward a seminary model in which thoughtful, seasoned pastors play a greater role on campus (not just in preaching and polity classes) and, correlatively, that seminary professors play a greater role in the educational ministries of their region's congregations.

7. Nor will we always need academic, systematic theologians to do all the heavy theological lifting for God's people.

We are not often explicit about this, but systematic theology, insofar as it is distinguished from biblical, historical, philosophical, psychological, and intercultural theology, is the work of generalists, people who synthesize the findings of those in the other scholarly disciplines and neither have nor require a methodology of their own. They put the big picture together and apply it to our lives. They don't require the resources or the structures of the academy to do this kind of work (though they do need very good libraries). In fact, the people best suited to synthesize our knowledge of God and his ways in the world today, applying this knowledge to the empirical realities we face, are pastor-theologians.

8. The knowledge of God is too important to be left to academics.

Most of the best-known academic theologians at work today have moved beyond the pale of orthodoxy (even beyond the Christian faith). Their work is driven by intramural academic concerns and priorities. They do what they think will earn them tenure, promotion, grant money, fame, and fortune in the guild. They talk to one another more than they talk to church people. But the knowledge of God is for all of us to pursue.

9. Independent churches shouldn't run their own seminaries.

Not only do they lack the resources (material and human) to do so well, but when they try to run their own schools they often wind up functioning like ministerial cookie cutters. They replicate the styles and views of their church's famous pastors. Pastor-theologians need ministerial sparring partners, people who disagree with them within the bounds of orthodoxy (especially while in training). They need real accountability, regular contact, and engagement with the rest of the Christian church---even if they are serving only a local congregation that is part of a small network of independent churches. The church needs pastors who are trained in the texts, doctrines, practices, and cultural sensitivities of the church--the whole church, past and present.

10. Theologians are accountable to God and all his people, whether they recognize it or not.

Academics need to do theology prayerfully, with the people of God in mind, not as an academic game. And pastor-theologians need to avoid the common temptation to chase fame and recognition, to replicate themselves, to force their own parochial vision and priorities on others. Insofar as they are to lead beyond their own, local churches they will need to listen to all God's people, pouring themselves out for the bride of Christ.

11. The task of the pastor-theologian has been problematized by modern, Western, intellectual history, especially by the dissolution of Christendom and the rise of the modern research university.

The dissolution of Christendom and rise of the modern research university are good things. They present us with difficult challenges, though---challenges not faced by Jonathan Edwards, for example. Pastors no longer enjoy a taken-for-granted cultural authority or legally sanctioned power. Americans now have to use voluntary means to gain a hearing from the public. And it is difficult to persuade people to choose theological education---especially when it requires earnest effort on their part. It is easier to gain a hearing by pandering to popular tastes.

Further, research universities and their fruits in mainstream culture (The New York Review of Books, National Public Radio, Alfred A. Knopf, etc.) are now the places where most self-selecting intellectual types, even intellectual Christians, get their mental nourishment. So it's natural for scholars to invest the bulk of their energy in the academic arena and/or semi-popular work that stems from academic soil. Both the church and the world, however, need our leaders to resist the current temptation to abandon the goal of improving the intellectual lives of people in and through our churches. Pop-cultural forms have their place within the church. But so do high culture and intellectual culture. We must do more than simply follow the latest pop-cultural fads if we are to deepen and enrich the cultural lives, indeed the theology, of God's people.

12. We need to avoid a Pollyannish view regarding the prospects of the pastor-theologian.

Given this intellectual history, there is only so much that is possible for pastor-theologians in the present. We ought to be realistic and humble as we pursue this kind of ministry. Not many in the pews are ready for it.

13. We should work toward a day when theological professors view themselves as handmaids serving pastor-theologians (among others), and pastor-theologians play an important public role in guiding people theologically.

Professors should continue to offer specialized instruction in ancient languages and history, exegesis, church history, social science, and philosophy. They will continue to equip future generations of pastors. But they should work to raise up pastors who can synthesize, exposit, and apply the knowledge of God to the lives of all God's people with authority.

14. This shift will require a major restructuring of the current division of labor in our churches and our schools.

This agenda will require a major restructuring of congregational priorities, and the schedules and the disciplines of some of our leading pastors. It will require some restructuring of seminary life, more and better partnerships with key churches and their pastors, and increased flexibility on the part of leading laity (who will need to give all of our pastors more time for study and some pastors time to speak and write for the church at large). This will clearly take some time. The effort will meet with stiff resistance in some pockets of the church.

15. The spiritual health of the church is worth the effort.

Let's work together to promote a reformation in the theological life and work of the church---for Jesus' sake.

Editors' Note: Everyone has an opinion about youth ministry. Parents, pastors, and the youth themselves have expectations and demands that don't always overlap. But the rash of dire statistics about the ineffectiveness of youth ministry has prompted rethinking in these ranks. So we devote one day per week this month to exploring several issues in youth ministry, including its history, problems, and biblical mandate. The Gospel Coalition thanks Cameron Cole and the leadership team of Rooted: A Theology Conference for Student Ministry for their help in compiling this series. Cathedral Church of the Advent in Birmingham, Alabama, will host their 2012 conference from August 9 to 11. Speakers Ray Ortlund, Timothy George, and Mary Willson will expound on the conference theme, "Adopted: The Beauty of Grace."

**********

Everyone knows the stereotype of the youth minister as a big kid with an expertise in games and an affinity for creative facial hair and body piercings. Despite the stereotype, many youth pastors are passionate and intelligent. Yet youth ministry has a reputation for not doing serious theology. In the book The Theological Turn in Youth Ministry, Andrew Root describes a discussion about a PhD program for youth ministry at his seminary. A biblical scholar asked, "Who is going to teach the seminar on group mixers?" Root goes on to describe the perception of youth ministers as theologically "lightweight." The National Study of Youth and Religion notes, "The vast majority of teens, who call themselves Christians, haven't been well educated in religious doctrine and, therefore, really don't know what they believe." Certainly, these results, at least to some degree, reflect the typically shallow theological culture of youth ministry. Why, then, does there seem to be a gap between youth ministry and theology?

People underestimate what students can comprehend.

We live in a society where we have relegated the teen years to something of a carefree vacation, protected from consequences and responsibilities. Alex and Brett Harris challenge this notion in their book Do Hard Things. When we don't expect teens to rise to challenges, we don't teach them doctrine. However, this lack of confidence in teens has left us with an ignorant generation (or several) with regard to what the church actually believes. It is strange that we teach young people complex calculus and physics but don't think they can handle or will be interested in understanding the significance of the Trinity or atonement. Brian Cosby, in his book Giving Up Gimmicks, recalls offering a basic biblical Greek overview class to teens. He expected a handful to respond but the room couldn't fit everyone who was interested.

Youth ministry has a popularity culture.

A veteran youth minister retired after 20 years citing exhaustion. Living a perpetual popularity contest finally wore him down. Well-meaning mentors assured (or cursed) him early in his career that if the kids like you, they will come to your programs, putting him on an approval treadmill. In reality, youth ministry seems to take on a cult of personality surrounding the student pastor, perhaps more than other sectors of the church. Consequently, when so much of success in ministry seems to depend on popularity among students, we're tempted to steer away from difficult theology. When one faithfully exegetes Scripture, difficult and complex topics arise.

Churches have different expectations of youth ministries.

Some pastors view youth ministry as a necessary bother. They see youth ministry as required yet do not want it to cause them problems or drain their time. Some churches view youth ministers as entertainers and buddies, not serious ministers of God's Word. Hence, they may hire energetic young adults without theological training (this varies between denominations) to run programs and do little to invest in their theological formation. The care with which we select youth pastors is not typically on par with the process we go through to call other clergy. Often the first question a church leader has for the youth pastor is, "How many came this week?" The second one may be, "Did they have fun?"

Youth pastors just love kids and want them to meet Jesus.

Evangelistic passion among some youth pastors has meant a neglect of theology---both studying it and teaching it. We can aim for "decisions for Christ" and overlook the spiritual formation that follows conversion. It is easy to get so wrapped up in doing evangelism and relationships that little time is spent deepening our own understanding of doctrine. Given that most people who come to faith do so before they complete their teen years, a youth minister can easily take on the attitude that "students don't need deep theology, they just need Jesus." Yet presenting the gospel without a solid theology is dangerous. A youth pastor with weak theology is more susceptible to developing a messiah complex, thinking we need to save these students. Students who don't grasp good theology cannot articulate a faith that will stand up in college or beyond.

The egg-and-armpit relay ruined youth ministry.

Mike Yaconelli, co-founder of Youth Specialties, used to joke about the egg-and-armpit relay as a central pillar of youth ministry. He was acknowledging that youth ministry had created a culture of fun. While we might have one of the most fun jobs on the planet, it becomes burdensome to manufacture fun all the time. Attending youth ministry conventions and conferences is a bit like a cross between Disney and Mardi Gras. Despite excellent training and inspiration, the atmosphere created by the sponsors reinforces a mentality that youth ministry is all about fun. In most youth ministry resources we find the emphasis on fun and games. The founder of Young Life was famous for saying, "It's sin to bore a kid with the gospel." When we look at photos of youth groups in our churches, we typically see lots of messy games and wacky skits. Given this perception, it becomes the expectation of parents, pastors, and church leaders to see youth ministry continue in that way. In truth, we don't want to bore the kids. Theology, on the other hand, is not usually perceived as fun. So does the typical youth pastor pour time into reading theology or planning more fun programs? The answer is not so difficult when we know a parent or student is going to ask if youth group will be fun this week.

How do we close the gap between youth ministry and theology? Perhaps we first need to change the perceptions of what youth ministry is all about and what students are capable of. Then we should insist that our youth pastors are lifelong learners trained in good theology. It may take a decade or two to get there, but in the end, it will have been worth the battle.

**********

Also in the series on youth ministry:

• A Brief History of Youth Ministry by Dave Wright
• MTD: Not Just a Problem with Youth Ministry by Brian H. Cosby
• Youth Ministry's Tendency Toward Legalism by Cameron Cole